we begin this morning with the negotiations to avert the so-called fiscal cliff. so far this week, president obama and house speaker john boehner have spoken twice. boehner says differences remain and he's told lawmakers not to make plans for the week after christmas, which means we'll probably be here, too, including susan mcginnis in washington this morning with the latest. susan, good morning to you. >> hi. good morning, terrell. as the white house continue to fail at coming to a conclusion on the budget, this fiscal cliff is not waiting for the end of the year. it's affecting america today. well, even santa claus is upset. santa claus showed up on capitol hill wednesday, urging congress and the white house to strike a deal to avoid the looming fiscal cliff before christmas. >> it's discouraging that our elected leadership in congress can't come together to get the job done for the american people. >> reporter: both sides say it's putting a damper on the holidays. >> i think it's going to be extremely difficult to get it done before christmas. ? . >> in anticip